4 Gluten-Free Holiday Dessert Ideas

Dessert is a delicious reason to gather by the fire this holiday! We want you to feel cozy on the inside too, so we’re sharing four gluten-free recipes for festive fritters, fondues, and toasts. Grab your slippers and follow the smell of winter spices. It’s time to get merry!

Cinnamon Raisin Apple Fritters

Frittering About

Some holiday traditions are simply irresistible! These warm, gooey fritters are made with cubed Cinnamon Raisin Bread and apple filling. Stop resisting and start snacking!

Ingredients

Spiced Apples

  • 2 Apples, cubed to ½-inch
  • 2 Tbsp. Sugar
  • 1 ½ Tbsp. Butter
  • ½ tsp. Apple Pie Spice Blend

Bread Mixture

  • 1 ½ C. Milk
  • 2 Tbsp. Butter
  • 2 Egg Yolks
  • ¼ tsp. Salt
  • ½ C. Cane Sugar
  • 2 loaves of Canyon Bakehouse Cinnamon Raisin Bread, crusts removed, cubed to ½-inch
  • 1 qt. Vegetable Oil

Glaze

  • 1 ¼ C. Powdered Sugar
  • ½ C. Whole Milk
  • ½ tsp. Vanilla
  • Pinch of Salt

Directions

  1. Prepare a standard muffin tin with paper liners.
  2. Place a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add in the apples, sugar, butter, and apple pie spice and bring to a low simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes, until just softened. Remove from heat.
  3. Place the cubed bread in a bowl.
  4. Pour the milk into a saucepan over medium heat and whisk until steaming. Add the salt and sugar and whisk to dissolve.
  5. Add the butter to the hot milk mixture. Remove from the heat and whisk until melted.
  6. Whisk the egg yolks and slowly pour them into the hot milk mixture.
  7. Pour the hot milk mixture over the cubed bread. Set aside until saturated, about 10 minutes.
  8. Spoon the saturated cubed bread into the paper liners in loose bundles.
  9. Spoon the cooled apple mixture into each bundle, tucking between the bread cubes.
  10. Cover the muffin tin with plastic wrap and allow bread and apple bundles to chill for 2 hours or overnight.
  11. Pour the vegetable oil into a deep pot over medium heat. Bring to 350 degrees and maintain.
  12. Working with one or two at a time, remove the chilled bread and apple bundles from the paper liners. Pat them to a ½-inch thickness and gently lower them into the hot oil.
  13. Fry the bundles for about 1 minute before flipping and frying for another 30 seconds to achieve a deep golden color. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fritters to a cooling rack.
  14. To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and salt in a double boiler. Whisking, heat the mixture until smooth and incorporated.
  15. Brush the fritters with glaze and allow them to set, about 10 minutes.

 

Christmas Toast

Frosting is Fun!

Who needs holiday sweaters when you have frosting, sprinkles, and Country White Bread? Grab some cutters and create your own Christmas Toast!

Ingredients

Toast Ingredients

  • 8-10 Slices Canyon Bakehouse Mountain White Bread
  • 1 C. Organic Buttercream Frosting

Decorative Toppings

  • Organic Decorator Frosting
  • Natural Colored Sprinkles
  • Shredded Coconut

Directions

  1. Using cookie cutters, cut bread slices into holiday shapes.
  2. Frost each bread shape with buttercream frosting.
  3. Decorate with toppings as desired.

 

Holiday Cinnamon Toast with Hazelnut Butter

 

Sugar & Spice

Classic Cinnamon Toast is all dressed up for the holidays with pumpkin pie spices, pomegranate seeds, and heavenly hazelnut butter on Mountain White Bread.

Ingredients

  • 2 Slices Canyon Bakehouse Mountain White Bread
  • 2 T. Butter
  • 2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, mace, clove)
  • 3 Tbsp. Cane Sugar
  • Hazelnut Butter

Toppings

  • Pomegranate Seeds
  • Chopped Pistachios

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin pie spice with the cane sugar. Set aside.
  2. Warm the hazelnut butter in the microwave for about 20 seconds until smooth and melted.
  3. Toast the bread slices. While they’re warm, spread them with butter.
  4. Sprinkle the buttered toast with the spiced sugar mixture.
  5. Drizzle the cinnamon toast with the melted hazelnut butter. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and chopped pistachios to serve.

 

Chocolate Fondue with Strawberries and French Toast Bites

Festive Fondue

As if strawberries and French toast bites aren’t sweet enough, why not dip them into decadent dark chocolate and warm almond butter sauce? Let’s do fondue for two!

Ingredients

  • Fresh Strawberries
  • French Toast Bites (see below)

Chocolate Sauce

  • 1 ½ C. Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
  • ¼ C. Butter
  • ¼ C. Brandy or Whiskey

French Toast Bites

  • 2 Eggs
  • ½ C. Milk
  • 1 tsp. Cinnamon or Pumpkin Pie Spice
  • 1 Loaf Canyon Bakehouse Heritage Whole Grain Bread, quartered
  • ¼ C. Butter

Directions

  1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, almond milk and cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
  2. Heat a large skillet or griddle and add 1 Tbsp. butter.
  3. Working one at a time, coat each quartered slice of bread with the batter on both sides before adding to the skillet. Cook for 1-2 minutes, flipping mid-way through, until golden brown.
  4. Prepare a fondue pot with hot tap water and a heat source underneath.
  5. To make the chocolate sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
  6. Add the brandy or whisky to the melted butter. Whisk to incorporate before removing from the heat. Immediately, pour the butter mixture over the chocolate chips. Do not stir. After 5 minutes, whisk to incorporate. If more melting is needed, place the bowl over a double boiler and whisk until smooth.
  7. Pour the water out of the prepared fondue pot and fill it with chocolate sauce. Place it back over the heat source.
  8. Serve the sauce with French toast bites and fresh strawberries for dipping.

Need more recipe ideas?

Excited for a gluten-free sweet treat this holiday? Magic awaits! Our incredible recipe gallery has just what you need to feel festive all season long, with delicious recipes for the holidays and every day. Follow this link and follow your bliss!

Happy holidays from Canyon Bakehouse!